Mollusks and their importance for life

Maret 30, 2016

Call the MIA kids already.

The word “mollusk” comes from the Latin word molluscus which means soft. So the phylum Mollusca is a group of invertebrates that have soft bodies. Their soft bodies are protected by shells, although there are some that have no shells. Well-known mollusks to us are snails. Snails are one mollusk that are included in the class Gastropoda, which moves with its abdomen.

Characteristics of mollusks:
– Multi-cellular invertebrates
– Lives in both land and water
– Triploblastic coelomate
– Has a biletaral symmetric body structure
– Body consists of legs, visceral mass, and coat
– Has a nervous system in the form of a nerve ring
– Excretory organ in the form of nephridial
– Has radula (toothed tongue)
– Heterotrophic
– Sexual reproduction